You can tell me
by zephyrnous
Summary: Astrid sat separate from the group. She sat on a log next to Stormfly, patting her dragon while she held her head in her other hand. She looked dejected. Toothless seemed to see it too, as he purred sympathetically. "I know, bud. She doesn't look herself." - A Hiccstrid story.
1. Dejected

**I haven't really done any proof reading on this yet, but I will get around to it.**

Peaceful, serene, beautiful, isolated. All words that could easily be used to describe the island; surrounded by miles and miles of ocean, contact with other lands was difficult and no matter how fast a terrible terror could fly, it could still take days for a message to send or receive from Berk. But this didn't deter the small group of friends who now resided on the island, dubbed 'Dragon's Edge' from thriving there. The sun that rose from beyond the edge of the world was just creeping over the horizon, signalling the start of the day for the island's occupants. The yellow rays of light weaved through small gaps between leaves of green. A large mountain overlooked the inhabitants' camp. Its icy peak glowing in the morning sunlight. A Terrible terror flew over the collection of huts, making small crowing noises.

Hiccup woke slowly, blinking as the sun seeped through a gap in the doorway into his eyes. He yawned and stretched before looking around. His Night Fury, Toothless was also just waking up, making growling noises as he refused to move, instead putting up a large black wing to block it out. Hiccup smiled in amusement.

"C'mon, Toothless! Don't you want breakfast?" Hiccup urged as he walked over. Almost immediately, A large black head with two piercing yellow eyes popped up over the shield of the dragon's wing with a short purring noise of sudden interest. If it were a human making the noise, it would sound more like a 'Huh?'. Before Hiccup could react, the dragon had leaped onto his clawed feet and was at his side.

"So now you're awake! I swear, Toothless you're like a cat!" he taunted. The dragon let out a strange noise that vaguely resembled a 'meow'. "Point proven." Hiccup stated as he rubbed his dragon's head. He smelled something cooking outside.

"Now come on, let's see what's for breakfast."

Since the group had settled on Dragon's Edge, they had all decided to share the responsibilities among them.. Well, more like _Hiccup_ decided to. The rest protested, of course. Apart from Astrid, for some reason he took notice of her reaction more than the others, and she nodded reasonably. looking over the small wooden balcony, he could see the twins fighting (of course). Snotlout was standing near a fire with a roasting spit. He didn't look impressed at being stuck with cooking duty. Fishlegs was buried in a notebook, writing something down hastily. Astrid sat separate from the group. _That's weird..._ She sat on a log next to Stormfly, patting her dragon on the head while she held her head in her other hand. She looked dejected. Toothless seemed to see it too, as he purred sympathetically.

"I know, bud. She doesn't look herself." It was no secret that Hiccup had a crush on Astrid - the others could see their bond all the way from Valhalla. Hiccup quickly mounted Toothless and the two flew down to see what was up. Landing a few feet away from the unhappy viking, Hiccup signalled to Toothless that he could eat from a nearby basket full of fish. He turned his attention to Astrid.

"Astrid? You okay?" He asked. She didn't look up, her face was hidden from him.

"Fine." She said, her tone flat. She poked at the ground with a stick half-heartedly. Of course Hiccup wasn't convinced. So he tried again.

"Astrid, you don't look fine. Come on, what's wrong?" She huffed and pushed passed him.

"I told you. I'm. Fine. Now leave me alone." She asserted, dismissively. Hiccup watched her walk away, over a slight hill and round a corner in dismay. Had he said something wrong? Gods, he hoped not.

"Hiccup? We've already tried to talk to her. But she won't respond with anything else." Fishlegs fretted as he waddled over to him, Meatlug close behind. Hiccup sighed.

"I'll go try again in a minute, see if she'll calm down a bit by then." He decided, still staring at where she disappeared.

"Wow, what'd you do this time?" Tuffnut asked.

"Nothing... At least I hope not."

Hiccup carried a wooden makeshift plate with a roasted fish on it and a mug of ale that his father had sent over to him as a gift for his 18th birthday. He wandered through the forest, following the general direction where Astrid had gone. He hadn't brought Toothless this time - he wanted to talk to her alone in hopes of her opening up a little to him. the only sound he could hear was the squeaking of his metal leg as it hit the ground over and over. But then he heard another sound. It sounded like a metal object hitting a tree, presumably an axe, judging by the shouts of a familiar Viking girl.

...And again...

...And again...

Scrambling over a bush, he saw the beautiful girl hurling her mother's axe with all her might at the poor tree that happened to be her target. Upon closer inspection, he was surprised to see evidence of tears on her cheeks and furious eyes. Unease creeped up on him at the thought of interrupting her like this. He shook his head and went ahead.

"A-Astrid?" He asked, tentatively. The girl in question froze mid-swing. The axe falling flat from its target. She turned her back on him, presumably in an effort to hide her sadness.

"I,-uh, brought you breakfast. The others said you hadn't eaten." He started.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." She said, wiping her face on her arm. He was about to give up and leave, but something told him to persist. He walked towards her.

"Astrid, seriously. What's gotten you so upset today?" He urged.

"Upset? I'm not upset." She insisted.

"You know you can tell me. I won't give it away to anyone, I swear." Nothing could have prepared him for her outburst.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LISTEN TO ME?! I'M FINE! I'M NOT UPSET! NOW JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" She gripped his shirt as she yelled. Her eyes were bloodshot and tears started to stream down her face. His normally organized and composed mind locked up. He had no idea what to do in this situation.

"I-I.."

She roughly dropped him and ran off once again, crying. If he went to her now, she'd only take it worse - she might even hurt him. Instead, he found a tree stump that was resting in a ray of sunlight and left her breakfast there, in the hope that she would eat it when she decided to return to them.

Hiccup stretched. He was exhausted after a long day of hunting down the flock of Night Terrors after they had fled from a Change-wing attack. Hiccup and his group had managed to drive them away from the island, for good if they were lucky. It was made especially difficult as a vital member of the team was distracted and not focusing on the task; Astrid. She kept putting herself in unnecessary danger, and instead of driving them away, she violently swung her axe at the Change-wings as if they had just eaten her friends. Hiccup was worried sick about her. But before he could say anything to her about it, she'd vanished into her hut. Toothless didn't hesitate to settle down into his bed of stone.

"I know, bud. Rough day today." As for him, he slipped into something easier to sleep in, leaving his padded clothing on a chest before lying in his bed. He immediately fell into the black void of sleep.

He didn't get the chance to slip into the dream world, however. As a knock on his door dragged in into wakefulness. Groaning and rubbing his eye, he got up, fastened his metal leg and approached the door. _Who in Thor's name could that be at this time of night?_ Judging by the light levels in the room, it was very early in the morning. He opened the door slowly, to reveal Astrid. She wasn't wearing her usual armour, but instead wore a silk dressing gown. Her hair, instead of in a braid, was flowing down over her shoulder. Her arms were crossed to block out the cold. She looked tired.

Very tired.

"Astrid? What are you doing up? It's in the middle of the night - you must be freezing." He mumbled, waking up fully.

"I... Couldn't sleep." She admitted. "Can I come in for a bit?" She asked.

"U-uh, sure. Come in." Hiccup invited. He was a bit flushed at seeing her in such a rarely worn piece of clothing. He stood to the side, allowing the Viking girl to walk in. Upon closing the door after her and turning around, he couldn't help but notice that Astrid's dressing gown seemed to cling to her body tighter than her usual armour. This revealed the true beauty of her curves to the young man, and he felt his cheeks flush slightly red. He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind and invited her to sit on his bed; the only comfortable seat in his hut. She obliged and he sat next to her. To his surprise, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"So.. D-do you need anything?" He asked.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup." She stated. Again, surprise echoed in his mind.

"Sorry? For what?" He asked, confused. She sighed softly.

"This morning, when I snapped at you. I just... didn't want to get you involved." She explained, almost a whisper. Hiccup felt an arm wrap around his waist. He mentally berated himself for being so nervous. He reciprocated the action.

"Involved in what?" He pressed. The distressed girl didn't say anything, and instead handed him a rolled up piece of paper, which he took gently. Curious, he unravelled it to reveal a message.

 _Dear my wonderful daughter,_

 _The illness that gripped your Auntie has left her with mere days left before she walks in another world. I'm so sorry for the loss we all face. I fear that by the time this message gets to you via the Terrible Terror, she may have passed. I love you and I know you were especially close to her. Please, don't go through this alone. Be near someone. Be_ _ **close**_ _with someone as you mourn._

 _Write back soon and if you can. Come and visit us. We all need each other right now._

 _Love,_

 _Dad._

Hiccup, shocked, slowly closed the letter again. This is what had her so down yesterday. He turned to her and sighed.

"Oh, Astrid..." He said while pulling her into a comforting hug. She nestled her head into his chest and clung to his waist, sobbing gently. He could feel tears seeping through his shirt, but he didn't care and ignored the wet patch building up on his chest. Gently stroking the back of her head, he pondered. He knew that Astrid hadn't seen her mother since she was a very little girl, and her Father had raised her alongside her Aunt. He remembered her telling him that her Aunt was like a mother to her, teaching her and helping her along as she grew up. Astrid then spoke up feebly.

"I-I didn't get to say goodbye to her." She choked, gripping onto Hiccup's shirt firmly. Not knowing what to say, Hiccup just got closer and hugged more tightly. He had never been close to Astrid's family; he rarely even saw them out. His pain came from Astrid's own grief.

"You should have told us. We would have all helped you, Astrid." He rubbed her back with his hand.

"No... It's not any of their comfort that I... That I need." She argued. Hiccup was half astonished, half honoured that he was the one she wanted to confide in. Her hand moved from his waist and searched for a hold in his own hand. He blushed a bit and held her tightly, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. They sat there for what felt like hours, hand in hand. Over time, Astrid's sobbing got quieter until the only sound in the room was Toothless' sleepy crooning.

Hiccup realised that Astrid had eventually fallen asleep in his arms. Her breathing was soft and steady and she had all of her weight on his chest. So he just sat there, unsure of what to do next. He could move her into a better position to sleep, but that could wake her up. She looked comfortable here and on further inspection, she seemed to have a small smile on her lips. He shifted slightly as he felt the patch that she had been crying in sticking to his chest. _Gonna need to wash these tomorrow. Maybe she should have a day in._ When she had arrived at his hut, she'd looked exhausted. For now, he decided she'd have to get in a better position. Since he'd built the hut, he had added a layer of sheep's wool imported from Berk to make his bed more comfortable and warmer, as hard wood wasn't too pleasant to sleep on. As much as he relished the position they were in, he very gently slid his hands underneath her knees - careful not to wake her. Guiltily, he marvelled at how soft her legs were as he slowly lowered her body under his bedcovers and laid her head on the pillow. She mumbled a bit in her sleep as she sank into the mattress. However, as he tried to pull away, Astrid's eyes opened slightly.

"Mh, Hiccup? Stay here with me, please?" She mumbled, grabbing his hand. This was a completely new side of Astrid that Hiccup had never seen before. He found himself unable to refuse her plea. Instead, he climbed into bed with her.

"Of course." He replied, kicking off his metal leg. The pillow was rather short, so they had to get close, to the point where Hiccup could feel Astrid's warm breath on his face. In response, Astrid draped her arm over his body, keeping him close. Hiccup found himself close enough to Astrid's face that if he just moved his head forward, their lips would make contact. His heart fluttered at the thought, but he forced himself to refrain; he wasn't about to take advantage of his friend like that. Whether it was intentional or not, Hiccup felt one of Astrid's legs entangle with his one leg. He placed his own arm over her midsection, feeling her body rise and fall steadily. It was a position that he'd never expected to be in before. He couldn't force himself to stay awake and ponder on it, as he was soon dragged into the comfort of sleep.

Hiccup stirred. His eyes still closed, he felt another presence, almost on top of him. Opening his eyes, he blinked in the harsh light. He then saw The silky hair of a beautiful Viking girl. _Astrid_. He panicked for a moment before remembering what happened the night before in a flash flood of sad feelings. She was now resting her still asleep head on his chest, her leg over his and her hand near his face. He slowly lifted his hand and gently caressed her head. He heard a soft coo from her mouth, shortly followed by a mumbling that somewhat resembled 'Hiccup'. He blushed as a smile formed on her mouth once more. In the corner of the room, Toothless stirred. After arching his back in a massive stretch, he looked towards Hiccup. He walked over and was about to nudge Hiccup out of bed to go flying when he noticed Astrid there as well. He tilted his head, an grumble of amusement and knowing coming from his throat. Instead of disturbing them, he trudged back to his spot and sat down, watching, waiting for him to get up.

"Mh.. H-Hiccup?" Astrid woke, rubbing her eyes. She froze. Upon realising the situation, she blushed.

"Morning, Astrid." He said, surprising himself with how calm he sounded. There were a few moments of silence before Astrid spoke up.

"Thanks, Hiccup. For everything." She pulled him into a short but meaningful kiss, which Hiccup gladly returned, if a bit surprised.

"Wow, no punch in the arm this time?" He teased.

"Don't push your luck." She replied, jokingly. Then her face turned serious. "Really though, that was nice of you last night." Hiccup realised that although they were both up, Astrid was still pinning him on the bed by lying on top of him.

"That's okay, I'm actually happy that you came to me - I was worried about you." He blurted that last part out. He expected a jolt of pain through his arm, but instead he felt her lips on his again. This time, it lasted a lot longer than their usual pecks. He gently raised his hand and caressed her cheek. Lightning seemed to pass through them as passion burst through their bodies like fire. Her lips were soft and warm, his heart furiously pounded in his chest as she pressed firmly onto him. He felt one of her hands on his own cheek. Unfortunately, he was a human and needed to breathe. And so did she, as the kiss broke with the sound of lips smacking. They parted, panting slightly and staring into each others' eyes. Hiccup was losing himself in her bright blue irises, finding himself unable to look away. It felt like a huge weight and tension that had been brimming between them had finally been lifted; like a wall had crumbled between them and they could see each other anew.

"Great Odin's ghost…" They both said in unison, almost a whisper. Before they could say anymore, a loud knocking came from the door, followed by Snotlout's voice.

"Hiccup! Ruffnut's refusing to do her cooking shift!" The bliss that flowed through hiccup was interrupted. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"Hey! It's not my turn to do it! It's Tuffnut's!"

"But we're twins so if it's not your turn, it isn't mine either, dummy." Another voice stated. Hiccup face-palmed at the 'logic' that Tuffnut just used. Astrid also looked frustrated at the interruption; their moment was ruined.

"Ugh, just wait there, I'll be right out." He shouted.

"What, in your nightclothes?" Astrid pointed out, smirking as he hopped to the door, not having his metal leg on. He froze, realising that he still had just a cotton shirt on that had an ominous wet patch still there. He grinned before getting out his leather armour from the chest. He then realised that Astrid was watching him, her arms crossed and a smirk plastered on her face.

"You little perv!" He joked as he switched clothing.

"Hey, is someone else in there?" Snotlout queried. A look of horror took over Astrid's face as she realised she was only wearing nothing but a dressing gown. But she didn't have any time to hide as The door swung open to reveal everything to the others. Astrid squeaked a bit and Hiccup froze before losing his balance on his one leg. The others froze too.

Momentarily.

Snotlout burst into laughter, as did the others; apart from Fishlegs, who stood there quietly.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Hiccup!" He exclaimed. before his metal leg was launched across the room into Snotlout's face, knocking him to the ground.

He wouldn't be waking up for a while.

 **Author's note  
Well that was the first chapter. I'm still not sure whether this will turn into anything particularly big, but there will be at least 2 chapters more currently.**


	2. Sorrow

Hey guys! I'm thrilled at all of the positivity the last chapter received! Thank you guys who left a review and followed/favourited it. This next chapter is going to be a bit more of a sad one than the previous, but for those who don't particularly like that sort of thing, it will probably be a lot more light hearted after this. I'm also sorry that it isn't as long, just over 2,000 words. I'll try to settle at about 3,000 in the future.  
Enjoy!

-Zephyr

Hiccup had ended up taking Ruffnut's cooking shift that morning, too frustrated with his and Astrid's moment being ruined by that mutton-head to bother sorting out petty squabbles. Although he had suggested it, Astrid had insisted against staying inside, and Hiccup knew all too well how stubborn she could be. She was sitting on a log not far behind him. He could feel her gaze on him as he turned the spit slowly. He glanced back, smiling. His heart seemed to jump as she smiled warmly back, sending shivers down Hiccup's spine. It was very rare to see her smile like that on a good day, but considering the circumstances, Hiccup felt privileged. Fishlegs seemed to catch on, but didn't speak up about it; he was too busy eating his second plate of cod. This gave Hiccup time to think. What would happen now? Things were surely going to be different between him and Astrid from now on and he knew that the kiss they had shared was much, much more than one of their usual kisses that ultimately didn't seem to change anything between them, somehow. There was a lot more meaning in it. And that spark that had pulsed through them was like a skrill had unleashed pure chaos in their emotions. Whatever had gotten in the way between them before that stopped them from going further with their relationship, had vanished. Now he just had to figure out how they could be together without the rest of the group teasing them. He needed an excuse to be alone with her for a few days, so he could help her through her grief, away from the others while she recovers enough to tell them when she's ready. If anything, she needed to see her family. Grabbing his and Astrid's portions of the breakfast, he walked over and set next to her.

"Hey." He said, handing her a plate, which she took gratefully. She rested her head on his shoulder briefly. He didn't really want to spoil her seemingly good mood by bringing up the visit, but he figured he should talk about it with her sometime.

"Hiccup, I'm going to visit my father and… my aunt." She said, bluntly.

 _Looks like I don't have to, then._

"Oh, okay I understand." He put his arm around her waist for comfort. "Do you want me to come with you?" He offered. She punched his arm.

"Ow!"

"Of course I do, idiot!" She teased, kissing him.

"After breakfast, though."

Not long after, the two were flying on their dragons over what felt like miles and miles of ocean. They had told no one but Fishlegs where they were going, but only Astrid and him knew exactly why. Astrid would tell the others when she was good and ready. For now, it was up to Hiccup to help her through. They mostly flew in silence. Astrid was silently hoping that her aunt still clung to life, that everything would be okay. Hiccup could see her apprehension buried deep within her serious expression. Hiccup flew closer to her, a gesture that he was there for her. She noticed and smiled gratefully. He felt like he had to say something.

"Hey, Astrid?"

"Yes, Hiccup?"

"I love you, remember that - whatever happens today. And I'm here for you." Surprise flickered in Astrid's sky blue eyes.

"Thanks, Hiccup. I love you too." A smile found its way on both of their faces.

After a while in the air, Berk came into view. They both swooped down towards the plaza. Upon landing, Hiccup dismounted Toothless and gave his muzzle a rub of appreciation. Astrid did the same for Stormfly. Stoick was helping sort out a quarrel between Bucket and Mulch when he heard them land.

"Hiccup! Welcome home, son!" He boomed, a big smile appearing behind his massive beard. He walked over and lifted Hiccup in a bear hug. All of Hiccup's breath left his lungs in one big gust.

"Hi.. dad..." He said, straining. "Ribs... breaking!" Stoick released his death grip and chuckled.

"So what brings you home, son?" Hiccup signalled to Astrid, who walked over to greet her chief. His father's face grew solemn as he realised.

"Oh, of course. You came to see Freja?" Freja was Astrid's aunt.

"I-is she still.." Hiccup couldn't bring himself to say it. Stoick sighed and took them both into a large hug.

"No... Oh gods!.." Astrid choked as she realised. Sadness entered his heart as he saw Astrid sob. He rushed over to her and enveloped her in the warmest hug he could manage.

"Hiccup..." She sobbed, hiding her head in his neck. Hiccup never could imagine Astrid of all people crying so openly in public, not holding anything back for anyone to see. _The_ Astrid Hofferson, crying. He cradled her head with his hand, stroking her soft, silky hair.

"Can we see her?" Hiccup asked after a what felt like hours of standing there, Astrid in his arms once more. He didn't notice, but a tear of his own rolled down his cheek. Stoick only nodded, and motioned them to follow.

"Hey, Astrid? You ready to visit her?" He asked gently. Without moving her head, she said "Y-yes." In a weak voice. They shuffled, Astrid still clinging desperately to him, over to Astrid's home with their dragons not far behind. Toothless rubbed his head to Astrid occasionally in sympathy. Hiccup ignored all the sympathetic looks the villagers gave him and Astrid, he only focused on the girl and where they were going. When they eventually reached the door to Astrid's home, Stoick knocked on the door. After a few moments, it swung open to reveal a tall, stocky man with armour that kind of resembled Astrid's, only it was bigger and had leather padding on the chest, and a belt with ornamental studs along the middle. His beard was shorter than Stoick's, and was braided towards its end. Upon seeing his daughter, his face lit up.

"Astrid! My beautiful daughter, come here!" He exclaimed. The girl in question released her death grip on Hiccup and almost fell into her father's embrace. A large hand cradled the back of her head, where Hiccup's own hand had been moments before. Astrid's father looked to him, nodding his thanks in helping her along. Hiccup nodded back respectively. He had never met the man before in person, but Astrid had occasionally mentioned him in casual conversation.

"D-Dad, please, tell me she's still here!" Astrid wailed. Dragon claws gripped onto his heart. Astrid acting so out of her usual character was enough to make him nauseous in dismay. Her father took a heavy breath.

"Come inside, you should see her." As they went inside, Hiccup sat down on a rock nearby and waited. From inside the house, Astrid pleaded.

"Wait, please. I need Hiccup with me." The boy in question immediately stood up as the door opened again, revealing Astrid looking out to him.

"I'm coming, don't worry, Astrid." He held her hand as they walked through her home. It was a very large house, with multiple rooms hidden by wooden walls. As they reached the far end, they walked through an open doorway into a small bedroom. What Hiccup saw made his heart slow down. A large bed was at the far end, and in it was a woman, lying motionless with her eyes closed and hands on her chest. Her skin looked pale, almost white. Her hair somewhat resembled Astrid's; a braid running down her shoulder.

Astrid choked in horror.

They were all silent, apart from the open crying of Hiccup's... girlfriend? Friend? What was she to him now? _We did kiss, and we shared 'I love yous'_ Hiccup saved the debate for later. Right now, he was gently walking with Astrid to her aunt's side, where she broke down. She wailed, screamed, as if she was being impaled on hundreds of spears, as if her life was being sapped away by the second. It made Hiccup gasp in internal pain, too. It was almost too much. But he swallowed his own sadness to help the once strong, brave viking who was now clasping to her aunt like her life depended on it.

 _No, she's still strong and brave, and the toughest viking I've ever known._ He mentally slapped himself. But looking at her now, she looked beaten, desperate.

As her wailing died down into desperate sobs, Achilles, Her father, stepped forward.

"She loved you dearly, as her own child. Every day she would talk about you with the most adoring smile she could ever pull, even as her condition worsened. She didn't care what happened to her, but rather what happened to you. Even if you couldn't have been with her in her final moments, she still passed knowing that she'll be able to see you again soon, from Valhalla. In the end, she did die in battle. The fight she fought so bravely against her condition was long and hard, and she died with her honour, and her love intact. And for that I know that... I-I know she will be welcomed in the realm of the fallen, where her p-pain will finally be lifted." His voice wavered.

Silence filled the room again, even Astrid's crying had muted. They all stood there for a while, mourning and grieving quietly. Hiccup gently rubbed Astrid's back. Eventually, she retreated from her aunt's side, hugging Hiccup again.

"S-she taught me so much... How to braid my hair, how to cook my own food, how to start fires, how to use a double sided axe to destroy those who'd come against me... She was my mentor - if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be the V-Viking I am today. As-as long as I can r-remember, she was there. She was there to help when I felt sad, and there to encourage me when I needed it the most." Her voice was barely a whisper, and it cracked.

"We're going to give her a proper send off tonight." Achilles said.

Hiccup and Astrid had both stayed in Berk that night, after sending her body on a small boat and shooting flaming arrows into it. Astrid had managed to keep herself together that time, but still stayed close to Hiccup. They now sat on a cliff-side overlooking Berk and the ocean. Toothless rested his head next to Hiccup, gently purring as Hiccup rubbed his head idly. A question burned in his mind, but he couldn't put it into words. A part of him told him not to be stupid, and that the answer was obvious. But the other part of him wanted to make sure. He looked over to Astrid. She had a small smile on her face, obviously feeling better than before. She looked out into the setting sun, taking in the orange glow she glanced at him, catching him looking. Her smile grew and her arm settled on his lower waist. The way she looked back at him was so much different than it had been before. There was something new there. When she held onto him, her grip was tighter, and she got a lot closer than before when they hugged. Something had definitely changed between them. Still, he wanted to be sure.

"Hey, Astrid?"

"Mhm?"

"Are we... Do you... Is there..?" He stumbled over his words. Astrid burst out into a laugh.

"Um... Did I do something or...?"

"I-I'm sorry, Hi-Hiccup it's just..." She caught her breath. "You're so cute when you're being so awkward and silly!" Hiccup blushed and gave his trademark lopsided grin.

"Of course." He played along.

"C'mere!" Astrid ordered, grabbing his head and pressing her lips against his. He was surprised at first, but shortly melted into it, kissing back. Toothless shrank back, obviously knowing what was about to transpire. Hiccup quickly found himself being straddled by Astrid, passion rising in his chest. His whole body seemed to warm up at her touch. His mind seemed to go numb, thoughts slurring. He slung his arms around her, pulling her closer by her waist. She was now pressed so close to him that he could feel her heart beat vibrate through her chest. A bolt of pain shot up his leg. He broke the kiss and winced. Astrid's face quickly changed to one of concern.

"What's wrong? was I too firm?" She fretted.

"No it's just..." He looked toward his leg, only to see that one of the spikes from her skirt digging in so far that blood spilled out. "That..." He said. Astrid looked to where he was pointing, her hair whipped in his face a moment before Astrid recoiled. He was in more pain than he let on; not wanting to make her guilty.

"Oh gods! I'm so sorry, Hic!" She backed away. "Does it hurt? I can go get Gothi-"

"Astrid, it's fine, really. J-just a small cut." He assured her. Still, she inspected the shallow, but flowing wound carefully.

"Hold on, I think I might have something..." She jogged over to Stormfly, who was nestled comfortably in the grassy floor. A satchel lay on the floor, and she rummaged through it. A moment later, she came back with a piece of white cloth. She knelt beside him and started to firmly wrap his cut with it. It didn't hurt; it was more soothing. After she had wrapped it around multiple times and tied the two ends together tightly, she gently stroked his leg with her hand.

"Thanks, Astrid." He said, grateful.

"It's nothing. My aunt always said not to go anywhere outside of home without some kind of medical supplies." She smiled sadly. Hiccup sat up and kissed her again. Turning their attention back to the view, Hiccup spoke his mind.

"So when do you want to go back to Dragon's Edge?" Astrid sat down again with him.

"Let's go tomorrow. I want to savour being home for a bit longer." She replied curling up beside him once more.

Then Hiccup remembered.

It was Snotlout's birthday tomorrow.


	3. campfire

**Here it is! The third chapter! *yaaaaaay***

 **To make up for last time's lack of length, this one is quite a bit longer than usual. It also has a LOOOT of Hiccstrid fluff in it - no surprise. And it's a lot more light-hearted than last time (I don't want this story to be all that depressing.)**

 **Thank you all for your feedback you've given me previously. As a first story, I'm surprised this is doing as well as it is.**

 **...Yeah okay, I'll shut up now and let you read.**

It was late evening by the time they made it back to Dragon's Edge - they had left later than they had expected. The island was almost completely in shadow. The only light was from the _very_ faint slither of sun in the far horizon, and a fire that blazed in the patch of grass near the dome. Part of Hiccup had hoped that everyone would be asleep by now, to save him from Snotlout's self-obsessed gloating at being older than the rest of them; nineteen, the rest of them being eighteen. _Snotlout! Snotlout! oi! oi! oi!_ That phrase got on his nerves so much. possibly thanks to countless thawfest games in which he would always yell that line in Hiccup's face. It was a chore to put up with the young man. Yet somehow, for some unknown reason, It just wouldn't feel the same without him, despite his constant bragging and shouting.

He and Astrid swooped down to join them. Logs were arranged around the fire, with his friends exchanging jokes from their positions on them. Their dragons accompanied them. Meatlug cuddled against Fishlegs. Barf, Belch and Hookfang play fought away from the group. They landed and dismounted. Hiccup told Toothless that he could play with the other Dragons, to which the Night Fury happily obliged. So did Stormfly.

"Love birds!" Exclaimed a rather drunk Snotlout.

"W-what?" Hiccup stuttered, shocked. _How could he possibly know? Unless... No, Fishlegs wouldn't just tell them something like that._ Hiccup noticed a barrel, probably a gift from someone. But where would they get one...

 _They didn't..._ He scowled slightly at the thought of Snotlout stealing _his_ gift from his father. Upon closer inspection, he could see that it even had his name engraved on the side along with 'Happy Birthday, son.'

"Who told him about my ale?" He demanded, half shouting. When he had first got it, he hadn't told anyone apart from Astrid and Fishlegs; the two that he trusted the most. Fishlegs suddenly looked nervous, playing with his fingers. Hiccup sighed, putting two and two together.

"Great, not like I was saving it or anything." He said, his voice dripping in bitter sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup, he was just desperate for some and it just slipped out." Fishlegs apologized.

He decided after a long glare at Snotlout that if his gift from his father was going to be wasted, he was going to enjoy it too. He grabbed two mugs, offering Astrid one after he filled them both to the brim with the intoxicating liquid. She gratefully took it and they joined Fishlegs on the log. Loud noises came from their dragons as they chased each other around.

"Hey, As-hic-strid! D'you know you look like a pillow!" The girl in question groaned in disgust.

"Pleeaase don't tell me I have to deal with this all night!" She exclaimed.

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, he's drunk off of his head. That and, well, he's Snotlout. He'll probably end up trying to drag you to bed with him before passing out." He joked. Astrid punched him, although he could see the laugh she failed to hide behind her smile. "You know I would never let that happen." She asserted. Hiccup rubbed his arm and gave her a look of fake hurt.

"Why do you abuse me like this, Ast?" He complained, giving her the eyes he had learned from Toothless whenever he wanted something. He'd dubbed it 'Toothless eyes'. She pushed him playfully.

"Oh, shut up you're not funny!" She chided, contradicting her _definitely_ amused face.

"I am and you know it!" He shot back before taking a swig from his mug. Unbeknownst to him, Fishlegs and Ruffnut, the only other people who weren't drunk, were staring at them. Ruffnut was smirking.

She was deemed as one of the least intelligent people in the group, just behind Tuffnut. But that didn't mean she couldn't spot love when she saw it. She seemed to cackle a bit inside, as if she was noting this down for later taunting.

Fishlegs sat there, feeling kind of awkward but amused at the same time.

"OOoooh! Love by the c-campfire!" Tuffnut taunted before burping absurdly loudly. Hiccup and Astrid froze for a second, blushing, before sitting up straight. They weren't ready to tell everyone _yet_. That would inevitably lead to more teasing.

"W-what?" Hiccup said, taking a gulp of ale.

And then another.

And another.

Before he realised it, he had downed the mug purely because his rushing mind couldn't figure out anything to do that looked somewhat casual.

"Um, Hiccup?" He heard Astrid's voice.

"You realise how potent that stuff is?" She continued.

"What? Nah,'s fiine." He imitated being hammered. She crossed her arms, clearly not entirely impressed. Although behind her disguise, Hiccup could still see amusement.

"Hey guys! We should totally play a game or something!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"Yeah! This is boring!" Ruffnut agreed.

"We should all take turns in the boar pit! Oh! Or maybe all at onc-"

"I swear to Odin if you finish that sentence, you won't be able to _use_ that 'boar pit!" Astrid yelled, grimacing. Tuffnut froze, a look of horror on his face.

"You wouldn't!"

"Guys! Stop arguing, do you want to play a game or not?" Fishlegs exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at him in astonishment. He seemed to pale a bit, and shrank down again.

"Umm." He didn't seem to know what to do in the situation. Looking down, he saw a mug of ale at Fishleg's feet as well.

"Has he been drinking too? Fishlegs _never_ shouts like that." Astrid murmured into Hiccup's ear. Hiccup shrugged.

"Truth or dare!"

"Spin the bottle!"

The twins proceeded to argue for at least five more minutes until one of the group suggested both. Snotlout shoved his mug into the air.

"I go first! I pick dare!"

"I dare you to... Kiss Astrid!" Tuffnut exclaimed. Astrid's face went from mortified to furious in a matter of seconds.

"Oh no you don't!" She asserted. Hiccup felt his own anger - an unfamiliar feeling for someone like him - bubble up inside him. What made things worse is that Snotlout looked more than willing to try.

Hiccup glared at the viking as he stumbled over to Astrid, who, like Hiccup, had clenched her fists.

"Hehe! Hiccup looks _piiiissed!_ " The atmosphere was tense as Snotlout stumbled closer. If Astrid hadn't punched him in the face, Hiccup had a feeling he would have.

"Ow! Son of a halftro-"

It wasn't like one of the friendly punches to the arm she gave Hiccup every now and then, Hiccup could _feel_ the force of the blow.

"Do you want another?" Astrid exclaimed before Snotlout could finish his insult. That seemed to shut him up, and he sat back down, in a huff, nose bleeding. Fishlegs watched the whole thing with hesitant amusement.

"Guys? I think this game has already gotten a bit out of hand." He stated. Hiccup let out a breath he didn't notice he was holding. That meant that he wouldn't get asked the question that he had no doubt was on the others' minds.

"Pffft. Naaaah!"

 _...maybe not..._

Hiccup shrank a bit, unwilling to receive more taunting for the others.

"Hiccup! You gotta play too!" Tuffnut stated. Hiccup sighed. He expected this. He braced himself.

"Fine... Dare." He closed his eyes, waiting for it.

"Kiss me." His eyes shot open wide. That voice was unmistakably, not Astrid's. But rather, Ruffnut's.

"W-What?!" Ruffnut burst out it laughter, falling over and seemingly unable to breathe apart from the convulsive roar of her cackling.

Astrid was staring dragon teeth into him. _As if I could feel more uneasy right now_.

"I'm not doing that, Ruffnut." He asserted, glancing at Astrid, who seemed to be a little reassured at the statement.

"Yeah I know I was only kidding! The look on both your faces! priceless!"

"Thank Thor for that!" Hiccup muttered under his breath to Astrid, who... _giggled_. She slapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened as if she didn't quite believe she - _The_ Astrid Hofferson - had just giggled... over a _boy_.

"Nah, you gotta kiss Astrid instead."

 _Aaand there it is._ Like clockwork, the two blushed profusely. Astrid looked as if she was about to make a run for it. Before she could, Ruffnut had her in an arm lock.

"H-Hey! Let me go!" The blonde Viking writhed, trying to get free. It only succeeded in making her arms ache a little bit.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not gonna budge until you let him do it!" Although she didn't seem to be too upset about the dare, she was more furious and indignant at being held down like she was.

He thought for a long time about any potential way he could get out before it was too late. He was about to blurt out some rushed excuse about being tired and wanting to go to sleep, when he had a thought. What if Astrid saw it as a sign that he didn't like her? That he wasn't into her? That would definitely screw things up between them and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of a punch like the one she'd given to Snotlout. Maybe if he snuck away without anyone noticing? They might forget...

 _No, don't be stupid, Hiccup. Of course they won't forget_.

Finally, seeing no way out of this, Hiccup looked Astrid in the eye and moved closer. She seemed to stop struggling and stared back, her facial expression changing. A rare but strong wave of confidence swept through him, and he found himself not caring what the others would think. Besides, Snotlout and Tuffnut were too drunk to really see anything. He gently nodded to Astrid, as if to check if it was okay with her. She slowly nodded back, and Hiccup closed the distance between them. He pressed his lips against hers. Relief accompanied lightning as Astrid kissed back. It was meant to be a quick peck, but Hiccup found himself deepening it, sliding his hand up to caress Astrid's cheek. He felt her hands wrap around him, one burying itself in his hair. Any previous awareness of the outside world blurred into nothing. Overshadowed by the single most important thing right now. Nothing else mattered.

A brief thought flickered in his mind. _Why did we wait so long?_ A thought that was brushed aside almost immediately, but not organised like the rest of his mind. It was still there, waiting to be noticed again - out of place, disturbing the neatness of everything else like a discarded drawing of one of his past, failed inventions among shelves of masterpieces. He would come back to it, rethink and see to it at a later point.

And it would bug the heck out of him until then.

For now, he sat there, mesmerised by the softness of his girlfriend's lips and how her heart beat in sync with his own. How she let out tiny, almost inaudible moans when he pressed harder. How her hands gripped his waist tenderly, yet firm beyond all belief at the same time. How her skin beneath his hand was smoother than he could ever have imagined despite her warrior like demeanour and life style. How he never wanted this moment to end. How he was disappointed when they were forced to separate so that they could _breathe_.

Even after they split, he still hovered close, staring into two sky-blue orbs that reminded him of his flights with Toothless when he would feel so happy, so free. Distracted from the troubles he left behind on the ground. Yet he was still on the ground, but that feeling was still there, possibly even stronger than it had been for a long time.

He had completely forgotten where they were and who they were with.

"Oh, my!" Ruffnut stated, grinning devilishly. As if his face wasn't red enough.

"Now you gotta take it to the next level! Know what I'm sayin'? How about a run in the boar pit?" She snickered.

"I-I swear to Odin, Ruffnut! If you mention your boar pit again I will fill it in!" That shut Ruffnut up. They'd finally found a way to silence the _Twins_. Of course they would take advantage of it as much as possible. Astrid was blushing just as much as Hiccup, and when she turned back to face him, she punched his arm.

"That's for making me think you were going to kiss Ruffnut." She said, smirking.

"What? But I didn't eve-" Astrid's lips on his cheek silenced him.

"And that was for-"

"Everything else?" He cut her off, grinning. Until she punched him again.

"Yeah, I guess I probably deserved that." He gave her a lopsided grin before taking another sip of his ale.

"Yeah? Well you're gonna get more at this rate." Astrid threatened, jokingly.

"I should get some armour or something."

"Then I would just switch where I'm gonna hit you." Astrid stated, smiling cheekily. Hiccup sighed in mock defeat.

"But Astriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid~" He pleaded, giving her 'Toothless eyes' again - more exaggerated this time. She stared at him, her lips quivering. Moments later she burst out in laughter.

"O-Oh Gods!... Hic... Hiccup! That face it... I can't breathe!" She bent over, trying to recover. Every time she glanced at Hiccup, she was just set off again. He grinned and started to tickle her, going straight for her sides. She jumped in shock.

"N-no! Ha-Hiccu-st-stop! please don- I'm gonna- gonna hit you so hard for this!" She sputtered through erratic laughs. Hiccup laughed to himself at his girlfriend's inability to form words effectively. She was putty in his fingertips. She started to slip back on her log from the delicate assault on her lower body. Her arms swung at him, involuntarily or not - it was hard to tell. But he ducked and carried on. She let out a yelp of shock as she slipped. Hiccup darted forward to catch her before she landed in the dirt - which would have sucked for both of them. He caught her with his arm around the back of her neck. Their faces where remarkably close. Hiccup found himself staring into her eyes, which stared straight back. He smiled and planted a swift kiss on her lips before hoisting her back up to her seat. She still looked a bit spaced out from the kiss.

"Yoo hoo! Anyone home?" He teased. She shook her head and glared at him. She cracked her knuckles, and Hiccup instantly regretted everything.

-Astrid's POV-

Astrid had felt so much pain in the past few days that she was afraid her heart would go dull. Thankfully, Hiccup had stayed by her side through it all. He was the only reason she could still go on. She didn't know why she hadn't realized it before that night. Sure, she'd had a crush on him since he took her on that amazing flight on Toothless. Well, after she'd almost thrown up her lungs. But she'd always kept it down, like it was just something getting in her way. More recently, she'd grown to think of Hiccup as more than a friend, in a way, but that night, she knew for sure what he meant to her and what she meant to him. She knew why she swayed as he looked at her with that crooked smile of his. She knew why her heart always skipped a beat when he touched her, why she always giggled when he stumbled over his words. And she knew why she loved it when she cradled his head in her lap in his drunken stupor. He'd had about 3 and a half mugs of his dad's ale and was almost as drunk as Snotlout. Granted, she'd had quite a few herself, but she could take a lot more than Hiccup, seeing as she'd been drinking a for lot longer than he had. The first time he'd drunk any sort of ale or mead was just a few months ago on his birthday, when he'd just got that barrel of ale from his father. He'd invited her and Fishlegs over to his hut to share it, not inviting Snotlout or the twins in fear that they would do something stupid... Well, more stupid than they normally do. He hadn't gotten _hammered_ then, but he'd been tipsy. He'd even hugged her unprovoked, which was something he would never have normally done at the time. When Hiccup had too much to drink, it seemed to affect him worse than all of them combined, which was an amusing thought.

"Hiccup, slow down!" She berated him as he reached for his mug. He looked up, barely managing to focus on her.

"Wh-Hic-y? I'm not fastly drun... no thas noright." His face screwed up as if he was trying to think hard. He trailed off as he seemed to fall asleep in her lap.

"Okay guys I'm gonna go get s'mor al..." Snotlout burbled before passing out and landing on his face. Tuffnut wobbled over and poked him.

"Awesome! He's dead!" Tuffnut stood up too fast, and promptly passed out on top of Snotlout. Astrid and Ruffnut laughed violently. Hiccup woke up, looking confused. Toothless bounced over, nudging Hiccup's leg. He ended up falling onto the ground, frighteningly close to the fire. He sat up and looked at Toothless, who tilted his head in confusion.

"Big cat! Bi-... Black cat! No... Dragn!" He slurred, cuddling Toothless clumsily. Astrid giggled and snorted a bit at his... childish antics. She remembered a four year old Hiccup chasing around a poor stray cat he found.

Toothless shook his head, unbalancing Hiccup. He stumbled back, heading towards the fire. Astrid's heart was caught in her throat as she darted forward to stop him from becoming a singed fish-bone.

Now that she thought about it, he wasn't a fishbone. Not at all. He was thin, but he wasn't as fragile as he was 3 years ago. Though she'd never seen him drunk before. In fact, she didn't think he'd ever been drunk before. She carefully directed him back to his seat, where he immediately started to fall asleep on her lap again. Astrid gently ran her fingers through his hair, massaging his head that would definitely hurt in the morning. Toothless looked over, with puzzled eyes. It was as if he thought his friend had gone mad. A puddle of ale was on the floor from where Hiccup had dropped it. Toothless padded over and sniffed it carefully. He withdrew his face, his nose wrinkled and shaking his head. Ruffnut was sitting there, cackling.

"I didn't think Hiccup could _get_ drunk!"

"Mh.. Wa's that shoutn'?" Hiccup stirred. Astrid brushed her hand through his hair subconsciously, looking down as his eyes peeled open. Previously, he hadn't been able to focus on anything, but now, his eyes locked on to Astrid's. He blinked a few times, looking mystified and in awe. His mouth formed an 'o'. Astrid tilted her head slightly in confusion. The ale had turned him from a lively, ever so intelligent young man into what resembled a vegetable brained idiot.

"Woah... You are... Valkyrie?" He exclaimed, clumsily placing his hand on her face. Her heart skipped a beat and she blushed. _Did he really just say that? ...Who am I kidding? He's drunk! ...I can't see._ Still, she couldn't shake the light feeling she had in that moment. She would talk to him about that later.

"OooooOOOooh, you're his _valkyrie_!" Ruffnut taunted. Her blush deepened into a dark red, although no one could see it past Hiccup's hand.

"I- I'll punch you so hard!" Astrid yelled, taking Hiccup's hand from her face. That was her third threat towards the others that night.

"N... No violence, please." Hiccup mumbled, holding on to Astrid with both arms around her waist. She'd had to replace her spiked skirt with a large piece of cloth so that Hiccup wouldn't get any _more_ injuries from it. She'd have to make those spikes a bit more blunt to stop these things happening all the time. The injury on his thigh was still clearly visible, although not bleeding anymore - Thank the Gods.

He was going to be in a lot of pain in the morning.

She noticed that Fishlegs was being very quiet. Looking over to him, he was fast asleep leaning on Meatlug. Right now he would probably be ranting about some 'interesting' new type of fauna he'd found or something. She yawned, letting out a small sigh as she did so. She'd lost track of time whilst they were around the now dying fire. Looking to the sky, she could see that the moon was well on its way into the horizon, about half way between midnight and dawn.

"We should probably get you to bed." She said, half to herself. She poked his cheek to wake him up again. His eyes slid open and he groaned.

"Come on, Hic." She said, grabbing his arm and placing it around her shoulder to keep him steady. Toothless was curled up not far from them, letting out soft crooning sounds. The recently turned 'young adult' stumbled a bit. She tightened her grip so he didn't face-plant. She would punch him later for making her do this. She decided, grinning to herself. It seemed that Hiccup had completely forgotten about his metal leg, as it dragged across the ground noisily, uselessly. This didn't make it any easier on her, as he kept tripping over it and almost taking her with him. As they got to the wooden ramp that led up and around to his hut, it finally happened. His prosthetic got caught on the small step between wood and grass. She let out a surprised yelp, followed by an 'oomph' as she hit the wood. Hiccup was lying next to her, not moving. Concerned and annoyed, she inspected him. Turns out, he was fast asleep, snoring quietly face down on the wooden path. She sighed, half in frustration and half amusement. He was so pathetic in this state. It reminded her of how he'd been all those years ago, before he befriended Toothless. She'd heard that he was born earlier than he was supposed to, according to his father and Gobber. That must have been why he wasn't as strong as the other Vikings. He'd been getting less frail recently, although he was still weak compared to, say, Snotlout. She cringed at what had happened earlier that night. Snot _face_ had always tried - and failed - to flirt with her. It just made him look gross and unpleasant to her. She had long realised that her type didn't fall within the typical Viking nature; beefy arms, horrifically violent and nothing short of idle-brained with no wit. Hiccup was the opposite of all those things. He didn't get in fights willingly and avoided conflict as much as possible. His intelligence and wit was unmatched throughout the village and beyond. Not that he would ever own up to it.

And then there was Toothless. Ever since that night, where Hiccup had shown her his true nature, she'd held a special respect for the dragon. His presence was very loud - if he was nearby, you could _feel_ it. After knowing him and his rider for quite a few years, she'd come to the realisation that if there was an animal that Toothless would be comparable to, it would be a cat. His silent intelligence and curiosity was so present, yet so mysterious. His eyes held so many wondrous images that Astrid couldn't even begin to comprehend. He was naturally prideful, and somewhat aloof. It was a silent understanding between him and the other dragons that _he_ was above them, in a way.

And of course, he was as irritable and slow to trust as a cat unless Hiccup trusted the newcomer enough.

It was only fitting that Hiccup, with his unmatched intelligence would bond so closely with the -worryingly to some - wise and prideful dragon whom, like him, was one of a kind - completely unique. They suited each other, like it was always meant to be him and his dragon - no, his _friend._

She realised that she'd been in thought for about a minute, while her boyfriend was still sprawled on the floor. Blushing, she shook his shoulder gently to wake him up. He grumbled a bit, but didn't fully wake up. She huffed in frustration, and instead opted to just carry him and avoid any more mishaps. She turned him around and placed one arm around his back and the other under his legs, hoisting him up. He wasn't very heavy at all in her trained arms. He'd probably not put on too much weight since he was fifteen, growing up, but not much out. She blushed as she realised that he'd definitely grown in terms of muscles, even if it wasn't all that much.

His lightweight build didn't hinder her walking speed much at all, and she actually found it kind of pleasant to have a source of warmth so close to her. He grumbled a bit in his sleep and coiled his arms around her chest. She marvelled at how different he acted when he was drunk, or asleep, or both. If he was sober in this position, he'd be blushing furiously and trying to think of excuses he could stutter out to walk on his own.

The cold night air battled them as they - well, _she_ shoved open the door to Hiccup's hut. It was a relief to get the wind off of her bare legs.

...Her bare legs...

She froze, dropping Hiccup. Her face paled and her eyes widened in horror. He let out a groan of pain. She looked down towards her legs, where her skirt _should_ be. Nothing, only her white undergarments. She then remembered - she had replaced her skirt with a pit of cloth to stop Hiccup from getting hurt on her lap. That piece of cloth must have fallen off when she'd stood up.

"Ohhhh no..." She let out a groan of dread.

Ruffnut probably saw the whooole thing...

 **Whoop! Another chapter over! Humour isn't exactly my strong point, I know. I'm not too sure how long this story will go on for. Maybe another chapter or so. I dunno, feel free to have your input below!**


	4. Author's note Reviews!

**Hey, guys!**

Thanks again for all of the positivity I've had the delight of reading in the reviews section! Ya'll have no idea how happy it makes me feel!  
It's just a shame that for some reason I cannot seem to be able to reply to them all directly, but this Author's note is for that purpose.  
-

 **Unfortunately, the person who left this review was logged in as a guest, so I do not know your name. But as for the review:**

" _Personally you could easily go for chapters in the double digits easily with this story. You got a good idea concept using a story based when they are a dragons edg, but I get it you may run out of ideas. Just keep thinking of oneshots that somehow link with the rest of the story, and bring up events from past chapters. Plus asking your viewers ain't such a bad thought."_

 **I'm happy you have so much faith in me on going to double digits in chapters. xD But yeah, eventually I will probably run out of steam for this story. What I was thinking, is that this story is setting the universe up in which I will write other stories too, maybe not in chronological order - as you suggested. And yes, they will probably be one shots. Finally, I do like to receive some kind of input from the viewers to keep things going a bit longer with inspiration from their ideas. Some suggestions I may get will probably be something for a one shot, depending on what it is. Thank you for your review and support!**

 **Another thanks to:**

 _ **StarRyder1**_

 _ **roughgunner**_

 _ **SkySorrow**_

 _ **UnbreakableWarrior**_

 _ **Supergoddad**_

 _ **snoopykid**_

 _ **Another guest so I don't know your name either - you posted** "Drunk Hiccup is amusing. Thanks for the Hiccstrid." **So whoever posted that knows who they are, thanks!**_

 ** _Love it_**

 ** _Red-Knight_**

 ** _Let-The-Time-Fly_**

 ** _the death bringer779_**

 ** _PuppeteerOllie_**

 ** _Miti-sweets_**

 ** _Alysee_**

 ** _DauterFeralVigilanteDragonLady (_** _love the name xD **)**_

 **All of the names listed above have previously left a kind and helpful review in the past, and they have kept me motivated to put as much effort and time into the story as I can! I cannot thank any of you enough for the extremely warm reception for my fic!**


	5. Final update I promise

Ugh, I didn't want to disappoint everyone like this.

Truth is, I've lost my passion for How To Train Your Dragon in recent months - this is why I haven't updated it in a while (3 months holy duckf***ing f***truck)

Part of chapter four is done though, but it's unfinished and un-refined. And I'm sorry, but I doubt I'll ever find the motivation to finish it in a while, maybe until the next season of Race to the Edge, but i dont know when that is.

In the meantime, however, I have been working on things that I've become more interested in at this point, which can all be found by following this link:  
Jasons-Writing-Page-820185558018554/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

This isn't fanfiction, but my own creations.

(I hope that works, let me know if it doesn't.)

I'm going to make this offer though, If anyone wants to take it upon themselves to finish or continue this story, post a reply on this 'chapter', or PM me. I will select someone at random from any offers on New Year's eve. Where you take it is your choice, but be aware that I make this request: take others' opinions on it into advisement when deciding on what will happen. When you finish a chapter, pm it to me and I'll add it on as soon as possible, or proof read it if you so desire.

Anyway, Again - I'm sorry. But I feel that I at least owe it to you all to show you the current state of chapter four.

 _Owww..._

Hiccup's mind throbbed. He felt sick and his ears rang. His body was stiff and his hands were clammy. He groaned in pain as he brought a hand to his face, massaging his forehead and temples. Eventually, he managed to open his eyes.

And immediately regretted it.

The light seemed to scorch his eyes, as if someone was reflecting the sun right into them simultaneously. He immediately shut them again. The only comfort he could sense that didn't result in agony was a warm presence at his side, and the gentle tickle of something soft on his cheek. He heard a loud snoring that pierced his ears before remembering last night.

 _Oh, great... So this is what a hangover is like._

He'd heard stories from the other Vikings on the horrors of a hangover. And how sound and light seemed almost unbearable even if it wasn't very loud. He only very slightly opened his eye and looked to his right. He saw the beautiful shape of his girlfriend's face as she was curled up against him, asleep. This was a sight that he didn't actually mind being burnt into his retinas. He smiled, despite his pain, and placed his hand on her head, gently stroking her hair. Her eyes were closed, - obviously - and her small lips were curled downwards in a frown. He figured she'd been dreaming about something. And something inside his now fragile mind knew what it might have been about. If only he could have done something more. Something that would let her stop fretting about it. More than holding her and saying everything would be okay, that everything was alright.

But alas, everything was _not_ alright. This wasn't a scar that would heal easily. Hiccup knew what it was like to grow up and live knowing that there was someone that _should_ be there, _should_ be important, that wasn't. There was a hole in Hiccup's family that he had to put up with. And now Astrid's family had one too.

Through his nauseous haze, he saw tears start to form in Astrid's closed eyes. Considering who she was, she'd been doing this way too much in the past few days. He shook her gently, in an attempt to wake her from her bad dream.

"Mh... Wha?" She moaned softly. Her eyes flickered open to reveal the beautiful blue crystals that he'd come to love.

"Good morning." He croaked. He was suddenly _very_ thirsty. Then, out of nowhere, Astrid shifted up towards him and planted a firm and meaningful kiss on his lips. His aching mind soothed, at least for now. His heart was caught in his throat as their lips moved in sync. When Astrid finally pulled away, he was left, bewildered and wondering why she'd been so spontaneous. Not to say that he wasn't thrilled, of course. A grin seemed to force its way onto his face.

"What was that for?" He said, surprised. Astrid blushed and looked away. She mumbled something but it was illegible to Hiccup's now over-sensitive ears.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" He pressed, confused. Astrid sighed.

"I suppose there isn't any point trying." She stated before continuing. "Last night you were very, _very_ drunk. You were asleep, but then you woke up." She looked into his eyes.

"You said I was your valkyrie." She put it bluntly. Hiccup felt his blood turn to ice. He'd thought that was a dream, the way the world blurred around her Goddess-like form, her soft blue gaze connecting with his own. Her golden hair gleaming in the orange light of a fire as it rest on her petite shoulders. Her soft, warm smile spreading warmth into him. He'd had to touch her to make sure she was real. When he felt her soft skin, he'd been certain that it was all a dream.

"I-I did? - I mean, yeah... I suppose-It must have, uhh... Sounded really, heh, cheesy..." Astrid laughed a little as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and blushed furiously.

"Hiccup, I have to know though. What you said, was it just you being drunk? Or do you really..." She seemed to struggle to put it into words. Hiccup hadn't thought that she would need such reassurance on this sort of thing; she was always so sure of herself and straight to the point about things.

He scanned her face, looking for any hint that him saying yes would result in physical harm. She looked serious, and a little sad or anxious. He concluded that _this_ Astrid would only hit him if he genuinely offended her.

He _hoped,_ anyway.

Drunk or dream, that had felt so real, so vivid. Hiccup mentally slapped himself for only realising how perfect Astrid was when he was half asleep and drunk. She saw that same Goddess in Astrid now, even tired and ruffled. He knew what valkyries were - they chose who would die in battle. But, from what Hiccup had heard, they had always been referred to as 'beautiful, warrior-like angels'. Which pretty much described Astrid. She was still anxiously looking at him, seeming to get frustrated as he hesitated.

"Yes." He replied. Astrid recoiled, looking hurt, which confused him.

"Wh-what? Oh..." She started to crawl off of him and looked away. Hiccup panicked slightly.

"Astrid? Where are you going?" She must have heard the confusion in his voice, because she turned back around.

"Wait, did you mean 'yes' to only saying it because you were drunk?"

"What? No! I meant that- I _really_ meant what I said!" He said, hurriedly. Relief spread across Astrid's face and she punched his arm, hard.

"O-oww..." The pain that wouldn't normally bother him much was amplified by his hangover. Astrid tilted her head for a minute before seeming to jump at a realisation. She got up and walked over to a chest, revealing her bare legs, not covered by any skirt. Which didn't make sense - she was wearing the rest of her armour. He blushed at the sight before looking away.

"U-um, Astrid? Why are you not wearing your - uh.." He felt himself grow warm in... more than one place, shifting uncomfortably in his bed. Astrid scowled over her shoulder.

"You shouldn't be looking, you pervert!" She chided. Hiccup grinned amusement.

"Hey, coming from the one who watched me get _completely_ undressed and then switch clothes! Besides, I only caught a glimpse!" He retorted, throat dry and hoarse.

He was cut off when an unexpected piece of clothing covered his face.

"I have no shame in that." Astrid stated, putting her hands on her hips. She smirked before taking a pair of Hiccup's spare leggings. He'd made sure to make multiple, just in case something happened to one of them.

Without asking him, she slipped them on. He tilted his head.

"Yep, keeping them!" She asserted, grinning.

"Well then you've got to steal the tunic too otherwise it looks kind of odd." He said, sarcastically. Astrid either didn't pick up the sarcasm, or didn't care, as she grinned and looked back in the chest and picked out one of his leather tunics, flight suit and all. Hiccup took the liberty of looking away before getting too _excited._

"How do I look?"

After a little while, Hiccup looked back. Astrid's form seemed to fit in his suit perfectly, despite it being designed with only him in mind. He actually thought she looked okay in it. Sure, it would have suited his hair and eye colour more, but He could easily do something about the colour scheme.

It was now that he realised that Astrid had managed to get away with theft - except it wasn't really theft, technically.

"You almost look as awesome as I do in that." He grinned. Astrid huffed, but her face gave away her delight.

"Right, now we need to do something about that hangover. You look like you just tried to take on a dragon bare handed." She stated. Hiccup would have tilted his head, but that would only have meant more pain.

"What do you mean? I do that all the time! Just ask Toothless." At the mention of his name, the black dragon perked his head up. He recognised Astrid wearing one of his human's suits. He made a grumbling sound that resembled a laugh. Astrid put her hands on her hips and scowled at the dragon playfully.

"Yeah... I'll get around to re-colouring that at some point. Maybe after I'm done with feeling like death. That is, if you want to be able to glide like I can."

"Woah-woah-woah, I'd rather not be jumping off Stormfly and rely on thin sheets of leather any time soon, thank you very much!"

"Your loss, then... I'm gonna go back to sleep. My head is killing me!" Hiccup said. Then, with a devilish smirk, he added. "See you later, _valkyrie."_ Astrid blushed.

"Damn it, Hiccup." She muttered. Although she was smiling. It didn't take him long to slip into the dark blur of sleep.

[ASTRID POV]

Astrid peered out of Hiccup's slightly open door. Bright sunlight immediately hit her face at full force. The air felt slightly damp on her features, possibly signalling earlier rain. She scanned the wooden gangplanks for any sign of pranksters out to catch her off guard, and in Hiccup's clothes; no doubt to taunt her relentlessly. She could deal with all of that, but that doesn't mean she'd _want_ to hear their comments. She slowly placed her foot on the cold, damp wood outside and crept over to the edge of the pathway. She let out a puff of relief as she saw them in much the same positions as they were last night. Tuffnut was still passed out over Snotlout. Ruffnut sat on the same log, although she looked much drier than the others and was actually awake. Fishlegs was at the cooking spit. Satisfied, Astrid turned and broke into a light jog towards her hut. It was the closest one to Hiccup's, Astrid had chosen that spot without really thinking about it - her hut focused on being functional. Although, now that she thought of it, having it so close to Hiccup's would be quite convenient. Despite her saying that she didn't care much about aesthetics in her room, Hiccup had still insisted that he could help make it look cool, but retain its functionality.

It _did_ look cool, she admitted.

She heard a familiar squawking noise behind her. Turning around, she saw Stormfly approaching her - presumably straight from the stables.

"Hey, Stormy!" She greeted, rubbing the dragon's nose. It made a clicking sound from the back of its throat as a happy gesture.

"You hungry?" Another excited squawk. The dragon seemed to notice her strange clothing choice, inspecting her with its eye and letting out strange, somewhat judgmental chirps.

"Hey! I lost my skirt, okay?" She huffed, jokingly. She hopped onto the bird-like dragon and they glided down to the clearing below. By now, Fishlegs was happily munching on his fish. Astrid sighed inwardly at the options of food. It was always fish these days, seeing as they were right next to the ocean. Fishlegs looked up at the sound of her arrival, and immediately froze, eyes wide. The look was kind of creeping her out. He didn't say anything; most likely in fear of being injured. Instead, he motioned to a plate not far from her. Not feeling like eating another morsel of sea food, she decided to give it to Hiccup; He'd want it more than she did. She then heated up some water and placed some in a mug before heading back to his hut, not before thanking Fishlegs.

The boy was still asleep. She quietly walked in, careful not to disturb him quite yet. She put down the plate on a desk and rummaged through some drawers. Her fingers found a small pouch. Opening it, she saw that it contained a bundle of strange leaves. She put some in the mug of hot water and used a stick that was laid beside the pouch to crush and stir them into the water. After a short time, the water turned into a brown colour. It was a shame that they didn't have any milk on the island. As she stirred it with a wooden spoon to make sure it was fully mixed, her thoughts snapped to her Auntie. She remembered how Freja used to always make tea for her when she got home from a hard day of training. Her hand that stirred the tea stopped, and she found herself trapped in a hole of despair. Tears made their way down her face and her grip on the mug failed her. It dropped to the floor, spilling out onto the planks. She didn't register it; all she could think about was how she would never see her Aunt again as long as she lived. She couldn't bear to think that the woman who was always so joyful would never be able to see how happy she was with Hiccup, never be there to listen to stories of her adventures with the others. She choked on her sadness and fell into a sitting position, with her knees tucked to her face and her arms around them. She cried into her knees.

Yeah, definitely 3 months worth of work right there, go me! [sarcasm]

Bear in mind this isn't likely to be a permanent 'goodbye' as I might come back at some point. But until then, thank you guys for everything; all of the reviews, the likes/favourites and the support!


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